Support the Space for Life

Would you like to participate in the advancement of natural science and scientific culture? Get people interested in environmental issues? Become a member of the Space for Life Foundation and take part in its activities.

Partial Solar Eclipse, June 1, 2011

Language
English

Partial Solar Eclipse

Photo: Espace pour la vie (Planétarium de Montréal)

On Wednesday, June 1, at the end of the afternoon (Quebec time) the Moon's shadow-cone will pass just above the Earth's North Pole. It won't be a total eclipse of the Sun, just a partial one, but it will be visible to varying degrees in the Arctic and neighbouring regions.

Eclipse visibility

The southern limit for viewing this partial eclipse will cut across Quebec diagonally: From James Bay, this imaginary line passes close to Chibougamau, and just north of lac Saint-Jean; it cuts across the St. Laurence River near Saint-Siméon in the Charlevoix, and Rivière-du-Loup on the south shore. In all regions situated north and east of this line, a partial solar eclipse will be visible. The Gaspé Peninsula, Magdalen Islands, the North Shore and Nunavik, plus Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, and the northern half of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, will all be within this zone.

However, throughout most inhabited areas, the eclipse will be somewhat inconspicuous. On the North Shore, for example, during the maximum phase, barely 3 percent of the Sun's surface will be obscured by the Moon: just visible to the naked eye, using solar filters specially designed for observing eclipses. To really see the tiny dent at the Sun's edge, caused by the Moon's silhouette, you'll need an optical instrument (binoculars or a telescope) equipped with a solar filter. In the far north of Québec, the eclipse will be more pronounced, though it won't exceed 11 percent.

Local Circumstances for the 2011 June 1 Partial Solar Eclipse

Québec (EDT)

Begins

Maximum

Ends

Magnitude*

Obscuration*

Rimouski

18:30

18:43

18:55

0.0198

0.33 %

Matane

18:26

18:42

18:58

0.0345

0.76 %

Gaspé

18:21

18:41

19:02

0.0573

1.62 %

Bonaventure

18:26

18:43

18:59

0.0371

0.84 %

Tadoussac

18:37

18:43

18:50

0.0060

0.06 %

Baie-Comeau

18:25

18:41

18:58

0.0346

0.76 %

Sept-Îles

18:17

18:39

19:01

0.0650

1.96 %

Havre-Saint-Pierre

18:14

18:39

19:03

0.0857

2.95 %

Natashquan

18:12

18:39

19:04

0.0979

3.59 %

Fermont

18:07

18:35

19:02

0.0999

3.71 %

Chisasibi

18:16

18:33

18:49

0.0317

0.67 %

Schefferville

18:00

18:31

19:02

0.1315

5.56 %

Kuujjuaq

17:49

18:25

19:00

0.1680

7.99 %

Salluit

17:38

18:17

18:54

0.1824

9.02 %

Magdalen Islands, QC (ADT)

Begins

Maximum

Ends

Magnitude*

Obscuration*

Cap-aux-Meules

19:23

19:43

20:02

0.0538

1.47 %

Atlantic Provinces (ADT)

Begins

Maximum

Ends

Magnitude*

Obscuration*

Moncton

19:37

19:46

19:54

0.0099

0.12 %

Charlottetown

19:32

19:45

19:59

0.0253

0.48 %

Sydney

19:26

19:44

20:02

0.0465

1.19 %

Newfoundland (NDT)

Begins

Maximum

Ends

Magnitude*

Obscuration*

St. John's

19:41

20:09

20:37

0.1237

5.08 %

Nunavut (EDT)

Begins

Maximum

Ends

Magnitude*

Obscuration*

Iqaluit

17:31

18:14

18:56

0.2413

13.6 %

North Pole (UT)

Begins

Maximum

Ends

Magnitude*

Obscuration*

20:27

21:21

22:14

0.4693

35.4 %

* Notes: The magnitude of an eclipse is the fraction of the solar diameter that is covered by the moon at maximum eclipse. Obscuration is the percentage of the solar surface area that is hidden by the moon at maximum eclipse.

Observation

Caution! One must never look toward the sun without using a proper solar filter, either with the naked eye or through an optical instrument.

If no suitable filter is available, the Sun’s image can also be projected on a screen with a pair of binoculars or small telescope. In this case, a filter should not be used. However, the setup must be monitored at all times to ensure that no one accidentally looks through the optics.

Under all circumstances, please follow the tips and techniques on how to safely observe the sun for a safe and enjoyable observation of the eclipse.